弱者的优势：2011美国黑马终极盘点

    或许是因为我们自身感到力不从心，为弱势者鼓与呼似乎成了件自然而然的事情，特别是在困难时期。艾米•肖瓦尔特说，甚至连流行文化也深受这种倾向的影响。“有多少部电影是以强大——通常也是邪恶——的一方获胜而告终的？”她问道。“并不是很多。部分原因是人们认为弱势者往往更高尚、更机智，更有资格收获成功。”

    然而，并非所有的弱者都生而平等。“仅仅处于明显的劣势这一点并不能保证人们一定希望看到你成功，”她说。肖瓦尔特是游说机构肖瓦尔特集团（Showalter Group）的总裁。该公司已经为包括西南航空（Southwest Airlines）和辉瑞制药（Pfizer）在内的150多家公司策划组织过基层政治活动。

    肖瓦尔特在撰写新著《弱者的优势：小人物有大能量》（The Underdog Edge: How Ordinary People Change the Minds of the Powerful…and Live to Tell About It）期间，分析了大量的学术研究成果和几十个真实的例证，理清了某些弱者何以能产生她所称的“极大影响”的原因所在。果断，对抗逆境的生动故事，愿意比竞争对手付出更多努力的决心，都有助于弱势者产生这种影响力。特立独行，顽强地坚持做被公众视为正确的事情，也会产生这种效果。

    肖瓦尔特指出，像对抗巨人歌利亚的大卫那样获得“街头威望”并不一定非得具备弱小的外形，西南航空公司就是一个例子。虽然西南航空现在已经贵为美国最大的航空公司，但该公司“一直以弱势者自居，最近的‘行李免托运费（Bags Fly Free）’计划即是一例，”肖瓦尔特写道。“西南航空允许顾客免费携带两件行李，而其他航空公司至少要向每件行李收取20美元的运费。”西南航空公司CEO加里•凯利表示，该公司的年收入之所以能增长大约1亿美元，这项以弱势者的姿态推出的措施可谓居功至伟。

    福特汽车公司（Ford Motor Co. ）的弱势者思维也获得了肖瓦尔特很高的评价。“尽管福特是一家规模庞大的公司，但它选择了一条更为崎岖的发展路径，而且拒不接受政府的救助资金，进而赢得了人们的称赞，”她说。“公众支持拒绝走捷径，纯粹依靠意志力获得成功的企业，尤其是经济陷于衰退的时候。这种事的确鼓舞人心。”

    在肖瓦尔特看来，以下这些弱势者在2011年的表现相当突出：

    罗德岛州财政专员吉娜•雷蒙多。肖瓦尔特说，这位民主党新秀“从来不理‘别招惹强大的州政府公务员工会’那一套。”雷蒙多对罗德岛州几近破产的公务员养老金体系进行了改革。“这种不偏不倚的行事方式让处于劣势的雷蒙多赢得了公众的赞赏。”

    丹佛野马队（Denver Broncos）的四分卫蒂姆•蒂博。肖瓦尔特说：“弱势者唯有使用非常规的战术，方能取胜，而蒂博正是出奇制胜的完美典范。”将丹佛野马队的获胜纪录从4-1提升至7-1的蒂姆•蒂博同时也是“一位具有凝聚力的团队领袖。”

    Perhaps because we feel powerless ourselves, rooting for the underdog, especially in tough times, seems to come naturally. The tendency is even ingrained in popular culture, says Amy Showalter. "In how many movies does the big, powerful -- and usually evil -- guy win?" she asks. "Not many. That's partly because the underdog is perceived as more moral, more resourceful, and more deserving of success."

    Still, not all underdogs are created equal. "Just being at an obvious disadvantage won't guarantee that people will want to see you win," she notes. Showalter is president of the Showalter Group, a lobbying firm that has organized grassroots political efforts for more than 150 companies, including Southwest Airlines (LUV) and Pfizer (PFE).

    For her new book, The Underdog Edge: How Ordinary People Change the Minds of the Powerful…and Live to Tell About It, she analyzed heaps of academic research and dozens of real-life examples to figure out what gives some underdogs what Showalter calls "extreme influence." Determination, a vivid story of struggling against adversity, and the willingness to try harder than your competition all help. So does standing out from the crowd by stubbornly insisting on doing what the public perceives as right.

    You don't have to be small to get "street cred" as a David against the Goliaths, Showalter says. Consider, for instance, Southwest Airlines. It's now the largest domestic U.S. carrier, but the company "has always played by the underdog creed, most recently with its 'Bags Fly Free' initiative," Showalter writes. "Southwest lets passengers check two pieces of luggage for free, while others charge $20 or more to check one bag." Southwest CEO Gary Kelly credits this one underdog move with boosting the airline's annual revenues by about $100 million.

    Showalter gives Ford Motor Co. (F) high marks for underdog thinking, too. "People admire Ford, as big as it is, for taking the scrappier and more difficult path and accepting no government bailout money," she says. "Especially in a recession, the public roots for any business that refuses to take the easy way and succeeds anyway by sheer grit. It's inspiring."

    A few of Showalter's picks for top underdogs of the year:

    Rhode Island State Treasurer Gina Raimondo. The rookie Democrat politician "never got the memo about not taking on the state's powerful public employee unions," Showalter says. Raimondo led the reform of Rhode Island's all-but-bankrupt public employee pension system. Her "unbiased approach gave her underdog street cred."

    Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. "Underdogs must use unconventional tactics to win, and Tebow is the apotheosis of unconventionality," says Showalter. Tebow, who took the Broncos from a 4-1 record to 7-1, is also "a cohesive team leader."